List of Anti-Virus Software Compatible with Windows 7

Within a few hours of Windows 7 being released my inbox started filling up with readers asking what Anti-Virus software they should install in Windows 7. Since this seems like such an important topic, I decided to make a list of packages that work.

Our Recommendation

If you want something that’s going to work really well, and is totally free, you should check out the free Microsoft Security Essentials anti-virus solution, which isn’t going to slow down your PC.

Note: as a general rule, software that works on Windows Vista should work just fine on Windows 7, with the exception of software that installs low-level system components like an Anti-Virus, firewalls, or similar. These packages often are designed to only run on specific versions of Windows.

Windows AntiVirus Detection

When you first install Windows 7, you’ll get a popup balloon message telling you that you need to find an antivirus program online… notice the wrench on the balloons that will let you turn them off easily.

Once you’ve installed a compatible package, the message will go away and you’ll see a message in the Action Center telling you that “Virus protection” is On:

The packages should also hook into the Windows 7 update mechanism and let you know when your virus definitions are out of date.

And now, on to the list… I took a screenshot of the Action Center screen proving that each package installs and is recognized properly by Windows 7, but I also ran through a couple of quick tests for each package.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition

AVG Free is the most popular anti-virus software out there, and not only does it work just perfectly under Windows 7, but it’s on the list of a small number of software packages that are officially compatible per Microsoft.

You’ll notice that it also offers Anti-Spyware protection, and Windows recommends that you only run a single Anti-Spyware application:

Avira is a popular freeware antivirus solution that seems to be a hit on our forum, with a number of the regulars in favor of it. This software works without any issues that I could find during my quick testing.

Norton AntiVirus 2009

Hardly needing an introduction, Norton AntiVirus 2009 works just fine. They are also on Microsoft’s list of compatible software for Windows 7.

This antivirus software package is also on the Microsoft official list of Windows 7 compatible software. We’ve not reviewed it here because we tend to focus on free alternatives, but it’s well-known and preferred by a few of our forum members.

You’ll note that my virus database is out of date in the screenshot above. The Action Center consolidates all of these messages together into one place – rather useful.

McAfee VirusScan: FAIL

Reported to be not working by multiple readers including Daniel in the comments.

Also Working Per Reader Comments

These packages are reported to be working by the readers in the comments below:

PCGuard Anti-Virus from Virgina Media Broadband

ESET Nod32 Anti-Virus

Microsoft Forefront Client Security (Enterprise)

Thanks, keep them coming!

Important Note

Just because all of these packages install and run doesn’t mean they are necessarily “supported” by the vendors.